The Distant Shores of China
by Queen Victorius
Summary: When Mulan washes up on the shores of Germany in Corona, she asks Rapunzel and Merida to help her liberate China from Shan Yu. Mulan/Li Shang, Rapunzel/Eugene. Third story on storyline 2.
1. Chapter 1

The Distant Shores of China

Chapter 1: The Unknown

**So, this is going to be a Brave 2012, Tangled, and Mulan mega crossover. Yes, you are free to criticize my unhealthy obsession with crossovers. If you are new to my stories, they will mostly be crossovers, because I love thinking about what would happen if characters from one fandom met the characters from another fandom. Anyway, hope that you enjoy this first chapter! P.S. I do not own these fandoms. They belong to Disney and Pixar.**

OOXO

"There it is, Merida. The kingdom of Corona," Rapunzel called to the Scottish princess, who was now perched on top of the crows' nest.

It had been several weeks since they had left the shores of Berk, where they had met Vikings, dragons, and Norse deities. Ever since then, they had been making their way to the kingdom of Corona in Germany, where Rapunzel ruled as princess. Once they had reached the edge of Germany, they had to travel along the border to find the entrance to the kingdom. They had had to stop to refresh their supplies along the way, which was a welcome relief to everyone, especially Merida's triplet brothers, who were always trying to get away from their mother when they left the ship.

Now, as the castle was spotted, Merida felt like dancing for joy. At last, they had finally arrived. As the ship slowly drew up to the harbor, Merida's brothers were already trying to jump onto the dock, but were held back by their father, Fergus, King of Scotland. Right when the boat stopped, however, the boys managed to evade their father and began to race toward the town square.

"Boys, you come back here, this instant," their mother, Elinor, called, but to no avail.

"It's so beautiful here, Rapunzel," Merida said, leaping down the last few rungs of the ladder to the crows' nest.

"I'm just so excited to see my parents. I feel guilty about all the worry that I've caused," Rapunzel replied, daintily stepping onto the dock, with her husband, Eugene, assisting her.

"You shouldn't feel guilty, Rapunzel. You've done a lot of good on Berk. Your parents will be very proud," Eugene reassured her.

Giving a grateful smile to her husband, she turned and started to head up toward the village, with Elinor and the boys already ahead of them.

"Tis' a beautiful sight, isn't it, lass?" Fergus asked his daughter, as they approached the castle, which gleamed in the sunlight.

Before she could reply, the front doors of the castle burst open, revealing the queen rushing toward her daughter.

"Oh, Rapunzel, thank goodness you and the others are alright. Where have you all been?"

In her immense relief at seeing her daughter alive and well, it took her a few moments to realize that Rapunzel's hair had grown back to its former color and length. Stumbling back in shock, she asked,

"Rapunzel, how did you…?"

To answer her mother, Rapunzel ventured to tell her and her father, who appeared a few moments later, all about the adventure she and Merida had had on Berk. Once finished, her father said,

"Well, we're just glad that you're alright. For now, we shall show your friends around. I'm sure that there is a lot for them to see."

And a lot there was, for the Scottish residents were all intrigued by the castle interior, with all the tapestries hanging on the walls, which Elinor questioned Queen Anne about thoroughly, the dining table, with its gleaming silverware, which was new to the family, and all of the corridors around, which the boys were thrilled to investigate. Even with all of the rooms in the castle, Merida was most interested in the armory, studying the intricate designs on the bows in the cases, wondering if they had even seen the light of battle, since Corona was mostly a peaceful kingdom.

In her excitement, Rapunzel showed Merida all the going-ons in the village square, with all of the citizens dancing in the courtyard, rejoicing that the princess had returned home safely. Quickly learning the moves, Merida eagerly joined in the dancing, twirling around, glad that she and her family had finally arrived.

After the excitement at seeing the newcomers, the festivities began to die down as evening approached. As the light from the setting sun began to shimmer across the water, Merida sat on the dock, watching as the sun's rays silhouetted the clouds, spreading colorful patterns throughout the sky. Basking in the sunlight, Merida wasn't aware that something unusual was about to happen.

While Pascal was bathing in the sun's rays, a cricket began to leap toward him. Wondering if this cricket had a death wish, since he was feeling like a cricket right about now, Pascal stared at it, not sure as to what was going on. Before Pascal could decide to eat it, the cricket began hopping around him, clearly in distress. Wondering the insect's problem was, Pascal was more than a little curious, as he followed it to a secluded cove. Feeling a little nervous, Pascal slowly entered, spotting a shape against far side. As the cricket began to hop toward it, Pascal realized that it was a human being. The person was a woman, with black hair, dark-brown, almond-shaped eyes, and was around the same age as Rapunzel.

Knowing that he needed to get help, Pascal headed toward Merida, who was still on the dock. As Pascal began to tug on Merida's dress, she tried to brush him away, not knowing what his problem was. Knowing that something was wrong, since he persisted, Merida finally began to follow him. Coming across the cove, she began to feel her way through the cave, careful to not trip over anything. Coming across the teenage girl, she gasped and immediately began to run toward the castle, with Pascal leaping onto her shoulder. A few minutes later, Eugene and the King arrived, carefully easing her on one of the palace horses. A few moments later, the stranger was lying in a bed in one of the guest rooms, close to Merida's room.

"I wonder who she could be. She doesn't look like she's from around here," Rapunzel said, staring, with concern etched on her face.

Suddenly, the cricket hopped into the room, startling both of the princesses'. A few seconds later, something red flashed past, which was being chased by the boys.

"Help me! Get these psychos away from me!"

With a gasp, Merida fell on the floor, stunned to see a small, red, talking dragon. As the dragon grabbed Rapunzel's leg, she reached for a frying pan nearby and began to promptly whack it, with screams of protest. The cries from the dragon managed to wake the girl, who stared on, in horror, at what was happening. Flying off the bed, she screamed,

"What are you doing to him?"

Startled by her outburst, the two princesses fell back, while the girl grabbed the lifeless-looking red dragon, with the cricket looking on in concern.

"Mushu, are you okay?"

"Never been… better… Mulan," the dragon, who's name was obviously Mushu, wheezed in pain, as he slowly got up, staring warily at Rapunzel, who still wielded her frying pan.

"Where are we?" the girl, who's name was Mulan, asked, not sure if she could trust these strangers.

"You're in the kingdom of Corona, in Germany," Rapunzel replied, still holding her pan at the ready.

Having heard the commotion, Fergus, Eugene, Elinor, Queen Anne, and King Markus burst into the room, not quite believing what they were seeing, as the situation in the room was quite unusual.

"Mom, Dad, can we go downstairs? I think we need to do a little explaining to our guest, Mulan," Rapunzel said, setting her pan down, while they all headed downstairs, wondering what would happen this time.

OOXO

**Well, what do you think, so far? Don't worry, I'll get the others into the picture soon enough. Hope you enjoyed and keep in touch!**


	2. A Plea for Help

The Distant Shores of China

Chapter 2: A Plea for Help

**So, this is where Mulan, Mushu, and Cri-Kee associate with the others and tell of their situation. Hope you enjoy!**

OOXO

"So, could you please explain who you and your friends are again, please?" Queen Anne asked, a little disturbed by the fact that there was a small, red, talking dragon in the throne room, who was on Mulan's shoulder, sticking his tongue out at the boys, who were trying to grab his tail.

"Yes, I ought to explain. My name is Mulan, this is Mushu, and this is Cri-Kee."

"Yeah, and I'm a Guardian Dragon… would you stop that?" Mushu yelled, tugging his tail away from Merida's brothers.

Continuing with her story, Mulan explained how she was supposed to marry a man, to preserve her family's honor. Therefore, she had to go to the Matchmaker, a woman who would determine if she was fit for marriage. After she had been turned away by the Matchmaker, the Emperor of China's adviser was sending conscription notices to every family in her village, including her father, in response to an invasion by the Huns, led by their leader, Shan Yu. Knowing that her father wouldn't survive, she had decided to disguise herself as a man, and to head to where the army had gathered. After going through a period of training, she and her fellow soldiers had had to fight the Hun army in the mountains, Mushu breaking in at this point, saying that Mulan was the one to vanquish the majority of them, by firing a rocket into the mountain, thus causing an avalanche.

"Wait, you said the majority of them. Do you mean that the rest survived?" Merida asked, confused as to how anyone could survive an avalanche.

After replying that they did, Mulan went on to say how, after she had been slashed by Shan Yu's sword, she was revealed and left behind by the army. Finding that Shan Yu and a couple of other Huns had survived, she had raced to the Imperial City to warn the army. After she had tried to warn Li-Shang, the Emperor was kidnapped by Shan Yu and nearly killed, until Mulan had convinced her friends, Yao, Ling, and Shien-Po, to disguise themselves as women, to distract the guards. After that, Mushu took over the rest of the story, saying that Mulan had killed Shan Yu with some nearby fireworks and had saved the day.

"That sounds like that was some ordeal," Merida said, knowing that, in Mulan's place, she would have done the same.

"That's not all of the story. After I returned to my village, rumours started to circulate that Shan Yu had somehow survived. I thought that it was all nonsense, until he ambushed the village, kidnapped everyone, including me, and took us to one of their camps. I knew that I had to escape and get help."

"But, if that's the case, how did you end up here? Where is China?" Rapunzel asked.

"What do you mean? Are you saying that this isn't China?" Mulan asked, in a slightly panicked voice.

"No, this is the kingdom of Corona, in Germany," King Markus responded.

"Hold on a second here, don't you guys have a map, or something?" Mushu asked, still trying to keep his tail out of the boys' clutches.

"There is a tapestry of the world hanging on the wall over there," Elinor replied, pointing to the wall on the right of the throne room.

Dashing over there, Mushu only needed to take a glance to know that the situation was indeed grave. As Mushu and Cri-Kee pointed to the map, Mulan slumped into a nearby chair, not knowing how she could've gotten almost to the other side of the world.

"What happened before you got here, if I may ask?" Rapunzel asked, not wanting to press Mulan too hard.

"Well, after I escaped from the Huns encampement, I found my horse, Khan, and rode all the way to the Imperial City, only to find Huns stationed all around. I managed to find my soldier friends, who had also escaped from imprisonment. While we were coming up with a plan, we were ambushed. Right after I thought that we were goners, a bright light surrounded us. That's all I remember. For all I know, the Huns are still in control. I know that we only met today, but I'm begging you, please help China."

"It's gonna be okay, lassie. We'll help you, won't we, Markus?" Fergus asked, glancing toward the King of Corona, who seemed to be deep in thought.

Before he could reply, however, a ruckus was heard outside the castle. As everyone glanced toward the doors, a magnificent, black stallion burst into the throne room, running toward Mulan.

"Khan!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the horse's neck. Quickly following Khan, were three men, one who was short and stocky, the second, skinny, and the third one tall and chubby.

"Yao, Ling, Chien-Po!"

"Don't worry, Mulan, we'll save you!" Yao yelled, charging toward King Markus.

"No, I'm not being held captive, guys. They saved me, and they've agreed to help us free China."

Looking thoroughly embarrassed, Yao backed away, mumbling under his breath. Noticing that someone was missing, Mulan asked,

"Where's Li-Shang?"

"Oh, yeah, we forgot to tell you. He's fighting some Huns that were following after us. We wanted to stay behind and help, but he wanted us to find you, in case… hey, wait for us, Mulan," Ling yelled, dashing after her, with Yao and Chien-Po following close behind.

Knowing that they had to help, Rapunzel and Merida grabbed weapons and ran after them, where fighting was heard in the village square.

OOXO

***dramatic music* Yeah, I know, Huns in Corona. This is going to get pretty interesting, pretty fast. Hope you enjoyed, and please review!**


	3. Battle of the Huns

The Distant Shores of China

Chapter 3: The Battle of the Huns

**So, here we are at the battle. Hope you enjoy! This chapter has violence in it, but bear with me, because this story IS rated T.**

OOXO

As screams were heard from the village square, Merida and Rapunzel rounded the corner, just in time to see a young man, who they both assumed to be Li-Shang, with Mulan, who looked to be around the same age, fighting against horrid-looking men, who were armed with swords and bows. As one of them spotted the two princesses, he quickly fired an arrow in their direction. Barely managing to duck behind a building, Rapunzel readied her frying pan, thinking of using it as a shield. Of course, Merida had quickly gotten to work firing her own arrows, watching, with satisfaction, as they all met their marks, but more just kept coming. That's when Eugene and King Markus burst into the square, all armed with swords. Eugene managed to sneak up behind one of the Huns, and hit him upside the head with the hilt of his sword.

"Charge!" Yao yelled, running toward a particularly big Hun, with Ling and Chien-Po following close behind.

"Mulan, look out!" the strange man yelled, pushing her out of the way of an incoming blade, which he promptly swiped aside, only to be met with a side-stroke from the left, slicing across his arm. Crying in pain, the man tried to defend himself, only to be knocked to the ground. Before the Hun could finish him off, Mulan descended on him, swiping his legs out from under him, then promptly stabbing him in the heart.

"Incoming!" Chien-Po yelled, knocking into another Hun, who didn't stand a chance against the burly Chinese man.

As Rapunzel and Merida jumped into the fray, Mushu and Cri-Kee quietly snuck up on a Hun intent on killing the king. With a battle cry, Cri-Kee managed to execute a daring leap onto the Hun's face, while Mushu burnt his heel. Crying out in pain, dancing on his other foot, the Hun quickly met with Rapunzel's frying pan, which mercilessly smacked his face, knocking him out.

"Come here, you little brat!" a skinny Hun yelled, trying to stab Merida, who kept leaping and twisting out of the way of his blows.

What the Hun didn't expect were Merida's brothers to leap onto his back, with him stumbling back in shock. That's when Maximus, the captain of the soldiers of Corona, who also happened to be a horse, raced up and head-butted the Hun, who fell back, with a dazed look on his face. As the boys cheered in triumph, they were picked up by the backs of their shirts by another Hun.

"Well, well, well, what daring little brats do we have here?"

Maximus was about to charge again when several Huns held him back, with the horse kicking in protest. Before the Hun could do any harm to the boys, Fergus grabbed the Hun by his neck and growled,

"I suggest that you put my sons down, because you really don't want me to squeeze."

After making sure that the Hun gently set his boys down, Fergus smacked him into the fountain. As Maximus finally managed to kick the Huns who were holding him, Khan raced into the courtyard, stamping down several Huns, with Mushu and Cri-Kee yelling war whoops, as they raced around the fountain.

Meanwhile, Yao, Ling, Chien-Po, and Li-Shang, were being surrounded on all sides by the enemy. However, they did not see Rapunzel climb up a nearby roof. Using her hair as a rope, she threw it toward a nearby beam. Making sure it was steady, she jumped, kicking the face of the first Hun in her way, hard. As she knocked him to the ground, she managed to swing to an opposite roof, where the Huns were now preparing to fire at her. However, King Markus raced into their midst, hacking and slashing, to create just enough of a diversion for Rapunzel to swing again, kicking both of her feet into the fray, knocking the Huns to the ground. As Rapunzel folded her arms in satisfaction, a Hun knocked down her father and swung her across his shoulder.

"Well, aren't you the prettiest maiden I've ever seen? I think that you're a keeper."

As Rapunzel was being carried away, Eugene charged into the square with all the ruffians of the Snuggly Duckling, who struck fear in the hearts of their enemies. Using this as an opportunity, Rapunzel slammed her arms into her captor's back, causing him to lurch forward, where she promptly delivered a swift kick to his face. Growling, the Hun was just about to draw his sword when Rapunzel delivered a whack to his face with her frying pan.

As this was occurring, Merida and Mulan were back-to-back, watching as a couple enemies crept toward them.

"I'll take the clumsy-looking one, you distract the other," Mulan commanded, striking a fighting pose.

Shrugging, Merida wrapped her hand around her bow, ready to draw it out at a moment's notice. As the Hun drew out a couple of deadly-looking knives, Merida asked,

"You sure you want to try that?"

"Like a little girl is going to stop me."

With a swift kick, the Hun knocked the bow out of Merida's hands. Reflexes kicking in, Merida dodged the slices made by her attacker, who growled in annoyance, wondering how she could be so fast. Unfortunately, one of the knives met its target, slicing into Merida's shoulder. Gasping in pain, Merida had to avoid getting beheaded, as she flipped to the right, where her bow lay. However, before she could grab it, another Hun picked it up, saying,

"Looking for this?"

Before any of them could react, Yao put the Hun holding Merida's bow in a headlock, while Ling kicked the other into a building, before jabbing his sword into the Hun's heart. Quickly grabbing her bow, Merida fired her last arrow into the last Hun's heart.

As the battle ended, Eugene went to check for anyone who had injuries. The only ones who really needed attending were Li-Shang and Merida, who both had been slashed with knives.

"You alright, lass?" Fergus asked in concern, as he saw the blood drip out of the wound on his daughter's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Dad, it's just a scratch. He looks like he needs more attention than I do," Merida replied, pointing to Li-Shang, who was already being bandaged by Eugene, with Mulan watching in concern.

As they were all led back to the castle, Merida began to wonder if the situation was worse than she had imagined. Only time would tell, and tell it definitely would.

OOXO

**So, was this chapter fast-paced enough for you guys? Whatever you thought of this chapter, I hope that you keep reading, because I'll get to China later on.**


	4. Voyage to China

The Distant Shores of China

Chapter 4: Voyage to China

**So, this is during a few days after the Hun attack on Corona. Hope you enjoy!**

OOXO

In the throne room, King Markus was pacing, pondering over the events that had occurred a few days ago. For one, the kingdom had been caught completely off guard. How had such a huge force managed to sneak into the kingdom like that? Second, he didn't know how these visitors from China had managed to come across miles of ocean and land to get to Germany, all in one day. Unfortunately, all that the visitors said was that a bright light had surrounded them before they appeared here.

As the King tried to make sense out of all of this, Merida was shooting arrows in the forest, hindered a little by her injured shoulder, trying to find answers. As she was drawing another arrow, Merida heard something behind the brush nearby. Peeking through, she saw Mulan twirling a sword in her hand then striking, with deadly accuracy, toward a nearby bush, slicing it in half. Amazed by the sight, Merida watched as Mulan promptly swung around and sliced the top portion of another bush clean off. As she gracefully executed a series of twirls and slices, she noticed Merida.

"That was impressive. I could never do that with a sword."

"Well, you're pretty impressive with that bow."

"Thanks. My Dad gave it to me when I was five."

As they struck up a conversation, they both knew that they shared a kindred spirit, of rebellion and determination. Knowing that she had to find a way to get Mulan and her friends home to save their country, Merida began to ponder ways of getting there. Since it would take too long to travel by boat and by walking on land, those ideas were ruled out. She could always find a way to contact Thor, the Norse god of lightning, whom they had met on their last adventure, on Berk. However, she didn't know how she could do that. Besides, he was probably helping his friends, the Avengers, at this point, so he definitely wasn't an option. Suddenly, it struck her. Why hadn't it come to her before?

"Mulan, I think I know a way of how we're going to get to China. We'll need to make a stop at Berk, though."

OOXO

"Wait, you want to go back to Berk?" Rapunzel asked, back in the throne room, where everyone else was gathered.

"Yes, we can fetch our dragons. Flying will take up less time than traveling by land or sea."

"The journey will take a weeks' time, lass," Fergus pointed out.

"Much better than traveling by land and sea, which would take around several months. The sooner we get to China, the better. There are people there who need our help."

"Well, if you're going to China, you'll need a map," Elinor said.

Staring at her mother in disbelief, thinking that she was the absolute last person to ever agree to this, Merida asked,

"Seriously? To be honest, I was expecting more of a fight from you."

"Well, you're right. There are people needing help, and I'm not just going to be letting you sit on the sidelines while you could be doing something. Just be careful."

"Well, if Merida's going, then I'm going too," Rapunzel announced, arms crossed, bracing herself for what she knew was coming.

"Rapunzel, I don't know if that's such a good idea," Queen Anne replied, concerned for her daughter's safety.

"You heard what Merida said, there are people needing our help. What we just witnessed a few days ago only strengthens that claim. I have to do this."

"Well, don't think that I'm not coming with you. I am your husband, after all. Somebody's got to be there to watch your back," Eugene said, putting his arm around Rapunzel's shoulders.

"Thanks, Eugene."

"Whoo-yeah, let's go kick some Hun booty! By the way, what's at Berk?" Mushu asked, not sure if he was going to like what was coming next.

OOXO

"You have got to be kidding me, right? You're telling me that there are bigger, nastier dragons than yours truly? How are you even sure that this is such a hot idea, anyway?" Mushu asked, after hearing the entire story of the princesses' adventures on Berk. Merida, rolling her eyes at Mushu's pun, replied,

"Well, unless you've got a better plan on how we're going to travel across miles of sea, not to mention the long trek across land, all the stops we're going to have to make to get all the proper supplies…"

"Alright, alright, I get it! Just don't be telling me that there might be a chance that we're going to get zapped by the all-powerful Dor, or Four, or whatever that guy's name is."

"It's Thor, for your information, and he would never do something like that. I used to think like that, believe me, but it was all prejudice."

"Okay, whatever. Even if we managed to get to China alive, though, what exactly is your plan? It's not like we're going to liberate the country in just one day. You thought that these Huns were bad, you should see the big man, himself. Shan-Yu means business. He's not going to let a pathetic girl, like yourself, defeat him."

"Do you want me to impale you with an arrow, because that is exactly what is coming for you pretty quickly, if you don't shut your mouth."

As Mushu rolled his eyes, he saw, to his horror, that those red-haired triplets were coming for him again. As he began to dash between nearby crates, which were being unloaded from ships, Mushu was relieved that those pesky boys wouldn't be coming on this journey. Not only were they dead-set on catching him, but they would also be dead meat if one of those Huns got them.

Cri-Kee, having seen Mushu's plight, dashed a few meters ahead of the boys, instantly drawing their attention. Squealing with delight, they all nearly stumbled over each other in their haste to catch the cricket, which had already squeezed into a niche, that was too small for the boys' hands to fit through. Accepting defeat, the boys ran off to find something else that would interest them. Peering from behind a crate, Mushu said,

"Thanks, Cri-Kee, I owe you one. Man, where's Mulan off to? We're going to be heading off pretty soon."

No sooner did Mushu ask before he saw her riding atop of Khan, bringing in some food from the marketplace, along with the rest of her friends.

"Man, I hope that all this food doesn't all go bad, by the time we reach… where are we going again?" Ling asked, as he dragged an exceptionally heavy bag across the cobblestone street.

"I don't know about all of this. What if this is just a trap? What if those two girls are in cahoots with the Huns? All they'd have to do would be to hand us over once we get there," Yao said, struggling with another bag.

"Well, if that's the case, why would they help defeat those Huns, a few days ago?" Chien-Po asked, lifting his bag with ease.

Not convinced by Chien-Po's logic, Yao just snarled and kept moving, deciding not to take any chances.

As Rapunzel was having a keg filled with fresh water for the voyage, she wondered how they would go about freeing China, seeing as how there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Huns holding the country, and its people, hostage. That's when she spotted Li-Shang further down the beach, his arm in a sling from when he had been slashed. He was studying the map that Elinor had given them, his brow furrowed in confusion, obviously troubled by how far they had come, all in one moment. Rolling up the map, he stared out to sea for a while before striding toward the ship.

With Chien-Po lifting up the kegs of water, they were all set to leave port. As Merida and Rapunzel bid their families farewell, Mushu, Cri-Kee, and Pascal climbed up into the crows' nest, where Mushu yelled,

"So long, suckers. Too bad you won't be able to come along to see me kick some Hun butt. Yeah, that's right, I'm talking to you, you three little red-haired tricksters. This will be the last you'll ever see of me, and good riddance."

Pascal just rolled his eyes at this act, while Cri-Kee climbed to the very top of the pole and waved, with the boys waving back. Merida promptly climbed up, as well, to stare out at the direction of their destination.

"So, just to make things clear, how do you put up with those brothers of yours? Man, I was just about ready to burn their heels off, you know, if I didn't have to run away from them all of the time."

"You get used to them. Right now, all I'm concentrating on is getting to Berk so we can get to China faster."

"Yeah, about that, I'm not sure that I'd want to meet these Vikings. For one thing, don't they pillage other places on a regular basis? So that means that they'd be just as bad as the Huns. Plus, I mean, we're talking big dragons, and I really wouldn't want to risk any of them attracting the Ancestors' attention. Because, before I know it, bam! They'll kick me off of guardianship duty, and hand it to one of those guys. Do you know how long it took me to prove myself? I really don't want all of that hard work going to waste."

"Oh, stop your griping, Mushu, it won't be that bad," Mulan, having climbed into the crows' nest as well, replied.

"Well, don't go crying to me if these dragons start causing trouble, because China already has problems, enough as it is."

"And by problems, you mean having your job taken from you?" Mulan asked, with a glimmer of humor in her eyes.

Deciding not to reply to that, the dragon just turned away, brooding in his pessimism. Taking on a more serious note, Mulan asked,

"You think that this plan will work out?"

"I know it will. We will not fail."

OOXO

**So, they're on their way to Berk. Hope you guys decide to stick around, because more is coming up!**


	5. Viking Recruits

The Distant Shores of China

Chapter 5: Viking Recruits

**Heh, heh. So, how's it going for you guys? Yeah, you don't even need to say it. I am really horrible at updating at decent intervals. Well, I suppose that we've all gone through a phase at one time or another. So, here is the next chapter. I hope that you all enjoy it, because this is when the Vikings from Berk come into play!**

** OOXO**

As the ship from Corona was gliding through the waves, a tiny speck amidst the vast ocean, Mushu, Cri-Kee, and Pascal were all lounging on the crow's nest, observing the many miles of water ahead of them. Suddenly, Mushu yelled,

"Oh, come on! How much further do we have to go? At least when Mulan was in the army there was actually new stuff to see all of the time. Here, though? Nope, just mile upon mile of water and those stupid dolphins down there that just won't shut up! Yeah, I'm talking to you down there, you little creeps!"

"Oh, come on, Mushu, it hasn't been that bad. We still have plenty of food and water, and we'll be at Berk in no time at all," Rapunzel, after having joined them on the crow's nest, said, always the optimist in situations such as this.

"Well, if you want to know what I think about this little trip of ours, princess...," Mushu began to rant before Cri-Kee began to squeal with glee while pointing at the horizon.

"Would you shut up, you dumb cricket, can't you see that I'm... wait, is that... it is! Land! Alleluia! We're saved!" Mushu cheered, which managed to bring everyone's attention to the landmass that was starting to become visible on the horizon.

"Is that really Berk, though?" Mulan asked Merida, wanting to make sure that everyone else wouldn't get their hopes up if they hadn't gotten there yet. Suddenly, dark shadows began to cast themselves onto the ship as flying creatures began to soar above them, seeming to guide them to the island ahead of them.

"Oh, I'm sure," Merida replied, taking delight in how startled Mulan, Li-Shang, Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po were at the sight of the dragons of Berk flying above their ship.

"See, what did I tell you guys? I told you that we would be there soon," Rapunzel stated to Mushu as she used her hair to descend from the crow's nest.

"Well, I suppose that I'll have to get used to this," Eugene stated as he stared wide-eyed at the dragons that were now starting to hurry their ship along to the island. As the ship gently docked onto the sandy beach, Mushu, Cri-Kee, and Pascal were the first ones to descend from the ship.

"Oh, land! Sweet glorious land, how I've missed you so!" Mushu cried, rolling on the beach with glee. He was quickly interrupted in his celebration by a troop of dragons landing on the beach in front of him.

"Oh... uh... you must be those, uh... _big_ dragons that Merida was talking about. Well, ahem, I'm going to be heading back to the ship now. Run for it, Cri-Kee!"

As he and Cri-Kee began to make a run for it, a lithe, black dragon and a blue one landed in front of them, cutting off their path back to the ship.

"What on Midgard is that thing?" a blonde-haired girl riding the blue dragon asked, using the axe she wielded to point at Mushu, who had screamed in fright at their appearance and was now cowering in front of them, while Cri-Kee had passed out. Perking up at this statement, Mushu, greatly offended that he wasn't recognized as a dragon, immediately stated,

"Excuse me... did you just call me a _thing? _For your information, I am a guardian dragon, and don't you go thinking that I am some kind of lizard, all right? That starts to get old after a while."

"Okay, that is messed up, even by my standards," a blond-haired boy, who was seated on a double-headed green dragon, stated, turning his attention to another passenger, a blond-haired girl with pigtails and who looked to be his age.

"Come on, that little lizard's got nothing on that two-headed sheep that was around a few years ago."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that sheep. Never mind."

"What did I just say about being called a lizard?" Mushu growled, boldly approaching the dragon they were seated on, only to have both of the dragon's heads thrust themselves in front of his face.

"Don't worry, he won't bite," Merida said, which effectively drew the attention of all those on the beach.

"Merida, is that you?" the scrawny, brown-haired boy on the black dragon asked in astonishment, turning his attention to the Scottish princess as she descended from the ship.

"Aye, it is. Guess you didn't expect to see me again so soon," she replied, a wide smile plastered on her face. As Mulan watched all those on the beach gather around Merida and Rapunzel and then turn their attention to her and her friends, she slowly descended from the ship as well, suddenly feeling very exposed with all the pairs of eyes staring at her.

"Everyone, this is Mulan, Li-Shang, Chien-Po, Yao, Ling..." Merida began, only to hear a cough by her feet. "And these two are Mushu and Cri-Kee."

"Yeah, and you better remember that," Mushu growled to the two still on the two-headed dragon.

"Right," Hiccup said, eyeing Mushu with a quizzical look, still not quite sure what exactly he was looking at, "well, I'm Hiccup, this is Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Toothless, Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, and Barf and Belch. Welcome to Berk."

"Uh, yeah, aren't you forgetting something, Hiccup?" the boy named Snotlout interrupted, eyeing the arrivals with a suspicious glare, "Don't you think it's a wee bit too much of a coincidence for these new 'visitors' to show up only a few days after those invaders came by here and nearly wiped out the place?"

"Snotlout,..." Hiccup groaned, only for Li-Shang to interrupt,

"What invaders?"

"You were attacked?" Merida interjected, while Rapunzel looked on in concern.

"Yeah, let's just say a lot has happened while you were gone," Hiccup slowly replied, slightly wincing as he rubbed his right shoulder with his hand. Toothless, aware of his friend's pain, drew close to him, concern laced in his eyes. As Hiccup patted Toothless' head in gratitude, he continued, "We might as well go to the great hall to discuss matters."

OOXO

At that moment, the great hall on the island of Berk was filled with the echoes of argument, anger, and panic, as all of the other residents of the island tried to come to terms with what had happened a few days ago. Mulan could already tell, as they were about to enter the towering building, that they would be forced to explain themselves a great deal if they wished to leave this place unscathed, if the boy named Snotlout reflected much of the general attitude of the Vikings on the island. Before they entered, Hiccup, taking on an authoritative air, turned to the newcomers and stated,

"All right now, if it isn't apparent enough already, everyone is a little bit... tense right now, so it would be best if you all just let me do the talking."

Well, 'tense' surely, thought Mulan, had to be a polite way of putting forward the fact that if any of them made one false move, they were sure to be beaten to a bloody pulp. Casting a quick glance at her friends, who all looked to be as hesitant as she was at that moment, Mulan, after taking a deep, calming breath and placing a mask of calm authority over her face, entered the hall after Hiccup and the others. What all assaulted her senses was almost enough to completely overwhelm that outer calm. The cacophany of yells, screams, and roars deafened her; the smell of all of the tightly-packed bodies was almost enough to make her gag; the sight of all the angry and desperate faces in the crowd, men and women alike, threatened to make her cower; and the feeling of being pressed in from all sides urged her to escape the trap that she was boxed into.

"Well, this is a nice atmosphere to start things off with," Eugene quipped, drawing Rapunzel, who also had an uneasy look written on her face, closer to him as if he were afraid that she would be swept away in the chaos that was ensuing all around them.

It did not last long before a thunderous voice boomed, "Enough!"

As calm overtook the occupants of the hall, a calm which seemed to Mulan to ring louder than the previous noise, the one who commanded the silence, a tall, red-haired Viking man, who appeared to be the chief of the tribe, continued,

"Listen, I know that you all want something to be done, but that's not going to happen if you all keep on like you are now. Wherever these invaders came from, they may strike again, so we will need to be prepared."

"And what about our children? We cannot just leave them in the hands of those monsters," a feminine voice cried out from the sea of villagers, which led unanimously to a roar of agreement throughout the entire hall.

"We will do our best to rescue them, make no mistake about that," he replied, his gaze finally settling on Hiccup. Mulan could almost see the towering man's eyes smolder as their gaze scrutinized the newcomers to the hall.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Yao whispered to Chien-po and Ling, as Hiccup led them through the tense, furious crowd, who were all piercing them with their smoldering gazes. Mulan could have almost sworn that some of them were even starting to finger the weapons that they held at their sides; axes, swords, maces, all of which seemed to give off an eerie, foreboding glow in the light of the fire that blazed in the enormous firepit in the middle of the hall.

"And this was a great idea, because...?" Mushu whispered to Mulan from where he was perched on her neck, having, too, noticed that these Vikings seemed like they would not have any qualms in murdering them right then and there. As Hiccup led them toward the center of the hall, Mulan could hear the townspeople murmering and whispering to each other, almost sounding like the drone of angry bees. After what seemed like an eternity, Hiccup had finally led them to the middle of the hall. Before he could explain the matter at hand, he was quickly silenced by the former speaker, whom Mulan assumed was this Stoick she had heard about, who whispered loud enough for her to hear,

"Not here."

Seeming to understand the matter at hand, Hiccup nodded and allowed his father to continue,

"I'm afraid that there has been an unexpected development. Until this matter is cleared up, I am leaving Spitelout in charge."

Finishing his proclamation, Stoick then began to lead the group toward the exit. Just before they left, an elderly voice cried out,

"So, the red-haired demon has gone and brought more trouble. What if she is the one responsible for all of this? Has no one ever thought of that?"

"Mildew, one more word...," Stoick growled, as Mulan noticed Merida flinch at this insult, as well as that Rapunzel and Hiccup drew closer to her as if trying to shield her from further insults that might be flung at her.

"Mark my words, she was trouble then, she'll be trouble now. Don't say that I didn't tell you so. And that goes for these newcomers, too" the elderly man ranted on before the great hall door cut him off, the resulting silence seeming to spell more of a foreboding note than a peaceful one, which was to be expected from finally being free of that choking atmosphere.

"Don't pay Mildew any mind. The others don't really take him seriously," Hiccup addressed the others.

"I'm not surprised at that," Li-Shang added, looking a little unnerved himself as he cast a glance back towards the hall door.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that this time, Hiccup. You know as well as I do that ever since those invaders came, it has gotten really tense around here, so the others may not be so quick to disregard whatever Mildew says," Astrid replied.

"I think tense is an understatement," Yao whispered to Ling and Chien-Po as they were led back through the village.

Mulan had to agree with the trio on this one. She remembered what it was like for her to be looked down on for being a woman, making her feel self-conscious and socially awkward as a result. However, that kind of pressure could not compare to the direct hostility that she had felt aimed her way while in the meeting hall. It was one thing to be viewed as being not as competent as a man, but it was an entirely different story to be looked on as an enemy, something she was especially not used to, what with her status as the Hero of China.

"Man, I really don't know about this, Mulan. Based on what happened back there, it looks like we were asking for trouble just by coming here," Mushu whispered, casting a suspicious glance at Stoick as he led them on through the village, with Cri-Kee nodding in agreement.

"Merida wouldn't have brought us here if she wasn't sure that they would be able to help us. We should trust her on this one."

"Huh, sure," Mushu huffed.

Turning her attention back to the others, Mulan quickly noticed that Hiccup was starting to nurse his right shoulder again. Before she could ask, though, Rapunzel was soon ahead of her.

"Are you okay, Hiccup?"

"Yeah... I'm fine. We all just got a little beat up in the fight, that's all. Nothing any Viking can't shake off."

"If by that, you mean totally having our butts handed to us, then yeah, that would be a great way to put it," Snotlout sarcastically added, whom Mulan only then just noticed had a slight limp.

"Enough of that, Snotlout," Stoick interjected just as they all reached one of the highest points of the island with a house atop it. It was here that Mulan, with a sick, twisted feeling in her gut, realized fully, as she surveyed the entirety of the inhabited portion of the island, the extent of the destruction that had been dealt on the village. Once-sturdy houses, now reduced to rickety, gutted structures and mounds of rubble, littered the landscape. Gazing on the remnants of this senseless, horrific destruction, Mulan could almost hear the crackling of the flames, the demonic cries of the Huns, the tortured screams of the innocent...

"It looks like back home," the usually-upbeat Ling stated as he, too, gazed out over the wreckage. Glancing over at Li-Shang, Mulan noticed that he had a dark glare in his eyes, most likely brought on by the memory of when the Chinese army had come across the destruction wrought by the Huns in the past.

"Are you guys coming?" Hiccup asked, beckoning them inside where the others were waiting. As they all gathered in the main room of the house, Stoick, after eyeing the new arrivals with a mixture of suspicion and intrigue, turned to Hiccup.

"All right, what's the story, Hiccup? I can't just ignore the fact that it is too much of a coincidence for these newcomers to have arrived here at this time. You know that I can't afford to take any chances, not if there is even the slightest risk they could bring further harm."

"With all due respect, Chief, if you are implying that we are working with the Huns, you're mistaken. They have committed their own share of pillaging in China as paid dearly for that mistake, as they will for this atrocity," Li-Shang replied from where he stood by the fireplace, the glitter of the crackling flames reflecting in his eyes. This, and the dark shadows that veiled his face, were enough to deeply trouble Mulan, as this proclamation was enough to send her a clear message of just how frayed his temper was at that moment, no doubt brought on by the horrifying sight of the remnants of pillage and destruction that lay just outside.

"We understand why you are apprehensive, Chief, but you can be rest assured that we do not mean any harm to you or your village," Mulan stated, throwing a quick glance at Li Shang to gauge his expression, which she was relieved to observe had calmed somewhat.

"Even so, that still does not explain why you have come here. If you do not mean to cause harm, why are you here?" Stoick questioned.

"That is where we come in, Stoick. These invaders, the Huns, have attacked China once again, and they have also threatened the security of Corona. This is why we have agreed to come to their aid, and we have come here to ask for yours," Merida interjected, which was enough to reel in the Viking teens' attention.

"Say no more, Merida. If there is any chance that we can put a stop to whatever these Huns are planning, then I'm game. I trust you," Hiccup stated, standing beside her as he did so.

"Hiccup, I understand that you have good intentions, but what you are proposing is far too risky. You saw what these Huns are capable of. The whole of Berk barely managed to fend them off. What chance would a small band have?" Stoick asked with concern.

"For one, we would have the element of surprise. Besides, the lives of innocents are on the line, and we need to do all we can, just like you said. This is an opportunity we can't ignore," Hiccup countered, clearly refusing to back down.

After casting a quick glance at the small band, Astrid, gazing at Hiccup for a brief moment, finally sighed and moved to stand beside him.

"Well, if you're going, someone's got to watch your back."

"I'm coming, too. After all, you might need some research along the way," Fishlegs timidly responded, standing beside them as well.

"Ah, what the heck, we might as well come along for the ride," Tuffnut stated, as he and his twin sister stood beside them.

Finally, after Snotlout had cast another suspicious glance at Mulan and the others, his eyes narrowed as he stated, "Count me in, too. If those Huns think that they can just waltz in here and trash the place, then they've got another thought coming. Besides, you guys aren't having any fun without me."

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the sentimental fluff, we gotta hurry up and get to China, so do you guys have our rides or what?" Mushu asked.

"He has a point, guys. Not to mention the fact that we're going to need enough supplies to get us to China at all," Eugene continued.

"I and the villagers will take care of the supplies, you just ready your dragons for the journey," Stoick replied, clearly having been convinced of the necessity of what lay ahead.

As the room began to disperse, Snotlout, addressing Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po, stated,

"Okay, here's the deal: if any of you pull any funny stuff on this journey, you'll have to answer to me, and you better hope that that doesn't happen."

"Likewise," Mulan heard Yao grumble under his breath once Snotlout was out of hearing range.

OOXO

As news of the upcoming journey spread throughout the village, the villagers, desperate to see their children again, quickly set to work gathering food, water, and weapons for the gang. Aiding in the preparation, Hiccup was at that moment helping to saddle up the chosen dragons for the journey ahead, consisting of Toothless, Stormfly, Meatlug, Hookfang, Barf, Belch, Jack, and Scathach. The latter two, having been apart from their masters, Rapunzel and Merida, were exceptionally excited to be reunited with them, having nearly driven themselves mad with excitement at the sight of them, nearly bowling them over as they rubbed up against them in greeting. Hiccup had had to smile at this moment, a shinging light in the midst of the recent darkness, as well as at the reaction of the new arrivals, who had all recoiled in surprise and shock at this gesture of excitement.

"And these are our ticket to China? They seem a little... volatile to me," Mushu had pointed out, appearing to be a little worried at the propsect of riding a dragon.

"Well, unless you want to get back on the ship and sail on that for a month..." Merida slowly said as she was preparing Scathach, which was enough to induce Mushu to jump back in horror and be silent.

Having inspected Toothless' equipment to ensure that it was in top shape for the journey ahead, Hiccup, turning to the others, asked,

"Is everyone ready?"

As everyone unanimously nodded, Hiccup led the way from the dragon arena to the docks, with everyone lining up in single-file. Toothless came first, bearing Hiccup and Li-Shang, followed by Stormfly, who had Astrid and Chien-Po. Next came Meatlug bearing Fishlegs; Hookfang with Snotlout and Yao, with the two of them each wanting to keep a close eye on the other; Barf and Belch with Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Ling; Jack with Eugene, Rapunzel and Pascal; and Scathach with Merida, Mulan, Mushu, and Cri-Kee. As they all made their way to the docks, the streets were soon crowded with the remaining Vikings, who were all silently seeing them off, praying that these adventurers would reclaim their children and destroy the Huns, as that was the only hope they could focus on for the moment, as Hiccup knew all too well.

As they all finally made it to the docks, the adventurers all glanced toward the horizon as Stoick began to address the crowd.

"As these travelers prepare to embark on their journey, let us all pray that their efforts are worthy to the gods, that they may find it in their hearts to bless this journey and to make its efforts fruitful, for this will most surely ensure the vanquish of our foes and the return of our children."

As the crowd cheered at this statement, Stoick took Hiccup's hand and stated,

"May the gods protect you and grant you aid for your quest."

"Thanks, Dad," Hiccup whispered, setting his gaze, once more, on the horizon. Giving the signal, Hiccup led the way as they all took off into the sky, with the farewells and well-wishes of those staying behind trailing after them. As the calls began to fade away, Hiccup turned back to look at the shore of Berk as it began to gradually disappear on the horizon, as well as at his traveling companions. It was then he began to feel a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. As he began to ponder the possible fate of his comrades, Li-Shang, having been silent thus far, finally broke the silence.

"Thank you for coming to our aid."

"No problem," Hiccup replied simply, determination hard as steel replacing the sinking sensation he was feeling. Turning his gaze toward the sky, he thought,

_Even if it takes my last breath, I will do all I can to stop these Huns, so help me, Thor. _

OOXO

**All right, how was it? Again, I am really sorry for the long delay. My muse has just been giving me hell these last couple of months. Anyway, we are finally getting somewhere in the story. Don't worry, there will be plenty of material in the next chapter. I just wanted to set the stage for the acquaintance of the Vikings with Mulan and her friends. I hope that you enjoyed, and please remember to review! I need all the critiquing I can get ;). **


	6. Bonding and Turmoil

The Distant Shores of China

Ch. 6: Bonding and Turmoil

**So, here I am again. I hope that you are all liking this story so far, and I hope that you all continue to like it. So, with that said and done, here is the next chapter! **

** OOXO**

Two weeks had passed since the gang had departed from Berk and into the great unknown. Throughout the days that followed, they soon developed a schedule; rising before the sun, scarfing down a quick breakfast, continuing their journey for another few hours at a time, with rest stops in-between, until they would find another location to land on for dinner with a rest afterwards. They would then continue for another few hours at a time, with quick rests in-between in order to stock up on needed supplies. Finally, they would stop for supper and make camp in order to get up bright and early. By this point, it had become somewhat monotonous, but it was a routine that was giving them more mileage by the day, something of which Hiccup forever was preoccupied with. Whenever he would look off into the horizon and feel the claws of despair gripping his heart at the growing fear and frustration that they would never reach their destination, he would always remember that night back on Berk and his failure.

OOXO

They had come out of nowhere. No one on Berk had any foreshadowing of what was to ensue. First came the arrows, lacing through the sky under cover of darkness, leaving a trail of innocents, Viking and dragon alike, dead in its wake. Next came a hellish roar as the demonic invaders swarmed the streets of Berk, striking down all those survivors who were caught off guard. It had been during this time when Hiccup and his friends had raced out to address the crisis.

"All right, guys, we need to find the leader figure and take him down. Astrid, I'll need you to cover me. Ruff, Tuff, create barricades around the village. Snotlout, keep back the invaders in the main street, and Fishlegs, gather all of the women and children and barricade them in the great hall."

As everyone promptly obeyed his orders, Hiccup turned his attention to a clump of invaders starting to enter the village.

"All right, bud, let's show them what we've got," he said, crouching low on Toothless' back while the Night Fury folded his wings to quickly descend into the street and fire a series of plasma blasts at the oncoming enemy. Just as Hiccup noticed that one of them was preparing to fire an arrow at him, one of Stormfly's spikes pinned the invader's wrist to the wall of a nearby hut.

"You're lucky that's all I'm going to do to you," Astrid growled, unbothered by the pain she had inflicted on her victim.

"You think you are so intimidating, don't you? By the time Shan-Yu is through with all of you, you'll think twice before you disrespect us," the invader chuckled, seeming to be unfazed by the unbearable pain that came with having his wrist impaled.

"If he wants me to respect him, he better have the guts to meet me face-to-face," Astrid snapped back, having alighted from Stormfly to hold her axe-blade to the man's stocky neck.

"We don't have time for this right now, Astrid. We'll question him later," Hiccup interrupted.

"Oh, you don't need to ask me about him. Why don't you go to him yourself? He's been wanting to meet you for quite some time," the captured man replied, cocking his head toward the hill where Hiccup's house was. Squinting into the darkness, Hiccup noticed that there was someone staring out over the turmoil that was being inflicted on the village, his silhouette looming against the glow of nearby fires. Not wasting time, Hiccup urged Toothless to the location, with Astrid not far behind. As they landed at their destination, both of their dragons made to protect their masters as they caught sight of the mysterious figure, both growling softly as they did so.

"Shan-Yu, I presume?" Hiccup began, on the alert for any sudden movements.

"Ah, there you are. I was beginning to wonder when you would show up. I've been looking forward to meeting someone who was willing to defy his tribe by training a dragon."

"Why would you care about that?" Hiccup asked, wondering if there was some kind of trick behind this statement.

"Why, because we're not that much different, you and I. We both use our talents to impose our will on others. You do it with dragons, and I do it with men," the figure replied, gesturing to the chaos still ensuing down below.

"Last I checked, I don't force dragons to accomplish what I want, especially if it comes to killing others," Hiccup shot back, silent anger beginning to envelop his senses as he heard the last piercing screams of the living, saw the towering flames turning the sky blood-red, smelled the sharp tangy scent of blood and flames, all while this man stood there not even batting an eye...

"I was just like you once... scrawny, bullied, never estimated to become much of anything... look at me now."

As he said this, he stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself to be an imposing man with pale-grey skin, yellow eyes, black hair, and a thin mustache.

"Over time, I became determined to become something more, something which would earn the respect of my tribe. I pushed myself, I took every beating that came my way head-on, until I became the leader of my people. No one thought that I could do it, yet here I am. Much like your life story, isn't it?"

"That doesn't change anything," Hiccup replied, alerted by Toothless to the fact that other invaders were starting to encircle them, no doubt ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"It does change the circumstances a great deal. You may think that you are not like me now, but once you have the proper motivation... everything will fall into place."

As the man turned his gaze toward the great hall, Hiccup froze as he heard the piercing shrieks of children. How could he have been so blind? It was all a distraction! Without a moment's hesitation, Astrid yelled,

"Stormfly, spine shot!"

As the spines met their targets dead-on, knocking the weapons out of the mens' hands, Hiccup and Toothless sped toward the great hall, where they found Meatlug trying to revive her unconscious master. Seeing that others were coming to Fishlegs' aid, Hiccup darted his gaze around the surrounding area, trying to pinpoint where the children were taken. As a roar of pain caught his attention, Hiccup saw that Snotlout was fiercely defending his dragon, who was incapacitated from the javelin that had pierced his underbelly.

"Get away from my dragon!" Snotlout yelled as several invaders tried to restrain Hookfang. As Snotlout ran toward them with his fists flying, Hiccup was swift to react. Crouching low on Toothless, they both zoomed into the fray, bowling the enemies over.

"Cover me, bud," Hiccup commanded Toothless, who growled in response as he rushed forward to knock back oncoming enemies.

"Is he gonna be okay? Please tell me he's gonna be okay," Snotlout begged as Hiccup carefully inspected the wound area.

"You better take him somewhere safe, Snotlout. He won't be able to fly with that wound. Find Gothi. He'll be safe with her."

After Snotlout had nodded in acknowledgement and began to urge Hookfang to Gothi's hut, Hiccup whistled for Toothless and took off into the air once more. Spying some ships starting to take off from the harbor, Hiccup urged Toothless on, praying that they wouldn't be too late. It wasn't until they had gone over the water did he suddenly feel a premonition of disaster. Suddenly, entire walls of arrows began to close in from all sides. As Toothless instinctively dashed higher up into the sky to avoid the oncoming menace, Hiccup gasped in pain as a bola grazed his shoulder. Several more soon followed and coiled themselves around him and Toothless. Unable to grip onto Toothless, Hiccup screamed as he began plummeting toward the water. As the cold embrace of the freezing ocean enveloped him, Hiccup, with a thrill of terror, realized that he was quickly sinking into the dark abyss below him. As he began to frantically kick his legs, the sheer panic that was overtaking him was quickly draining him of his oxygen supply. Just as the light of the full moon was beginning to fade away, along with his consciousness, Hiccup suddenly felt a mighty grip yanking him back to the surface. The chill of the night air on his soggy form, as well as the unpleasant sensation of being flung onto the ground, was enough to bring his alertness back into sharp focus. Gasping for air and trembling from the searing cold, Hiccup heard a roar as Toothless suddenly came up beside him. Forcing himself to move, Hiccup found himself peering up into the hideous face of Shan-Yu, with a handful of men flanking him on both sides.

"Your dragon is very loyal to you, isn't he? He certainly is a magnificent creature," he finally stated, prompting a low growl from Toothless.

"Why... why did you save me?" Hiccup wheezed, wondering if this was some kind of sick game.

"Well, after the conversation we had, I didn't want you to die that fast. It wouldn't be any fun then."

"Might I ask what kind of fun?" Hiccup growled, wincing as he attempted to rise.

"You'll see soon enough," he simply stated, signaling his men to follow him. Before he left, he fixed Hiccup with a yellow stare.

"Until we meet again, Hiccup Haddock."

OOXO

The memory of that final statement, of the utter nonchalance Shan-Yu expressed at the deaths of so many... that is what Hiccup's mind was focusing on from that night. All attempts to track Shan-Yu and his men down were in vain, and the one whom Hiccup had said Astrid should spare for questioning had somehow vanished as well. The missing children... their only lead... gone, all because of his carelessness. He had to make it up to all those who were crying for vengeance, for no matter how many times he had been told by his friends that none of this was in no way his fault, he felt the urge to redeem himself. He had also volunteered to go on this quest because of the one thing that had nagged him in the back of his mind ever since the invasion; how did Shan-Yu know his name, and, more importantly, was he expecting him to infiltrate China and put a stop to the occupation? Was this all just a sick game, a way to test him? If so, why?

"Hey, are you okay?"

Startled out of his thoughts by Mulan's concerned question, Hiccup only then just noticed that his hands had involuntarily clenched into fists as he was staring at the wall of the cave they were all taking refuge in.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. I guess the trip has just been taking its toll," Hiccup replied, praying that that would be all that she would inquire about. This answer having seemed to satisfy her, Mulan deftly picked up a makeshift spear, no doubt intending to kill a few rabbits for the group to eat before taking to the skies again. Only when she was far enough away did Hiccup allow himself to release a huge yawn, just another symptom resulting from his rigid travel schedule. He didn't have to turn his gaze toward Toothless to know that the night fury was fixing him with another one of his displeased glares.

"Hey, come on, bud. We can't afford to take long rests when lives are on the line. Some sacrifices have to be made when it comes to situations like this."

At this defense, Toothless raised an eyebrow and nudged his head toward the deeper depths of the cave, where the others were passed out from exhaustion.

"All right, I get the picture," Hiccup sighed, pinching his nose in exasperation.

It was this guilt, over his friends and over the villagers of Berk, that Hiccup was struggling with every single day. He knew, on the one hand, that they did not have much time. On the other, his common sense told him that they could not keep pressing on like this forever. Everyone else seemed drained enough as it was. They would just lose more time.

As another yawn overtook Hiccup's senses, Toothless gently prodded him over to where the others were dozing.

"No, Toothless, I have to get everything ready for when we have to go," Hiccup numbly argued, suddenly finding the cave wall a rather attractive place to sleep. Besides, it was only two hours before they had to depart. He could afford to rest that long, right? Having settled out the logic in his head, he slowly nestled himself into a crevice of the cave wall, finally allowing himself to slip into the world of dreams.

OOXO

_She was riding on Angus, feeling the familiar and welcoming sensation of the wind ruffling her hair, the rhythm of her horses' hooves on the ground, her bow clutched in her hand... but no, something was wrong. Merida couldn't quite place it. An icy chill had arisen. At high noon in the summertime? Suddenly, whispers in the dark... a trail of will-o-the-wisps... she was now urging Angus on, anxiety building up in her, anticipating what, she knew not. An open clearing, with frost just starting to coat the tips of the luscious grass. Her breath freezing in her chest, cruel and gleaming shards of ice beginning to crawl up Angus' legs and starting to engulf her. Two figures in the mist, a man and woman, a bone-chilling laugh... suffocation... ._

With a mighty effort, Merida managed to yank herself out of the nightmare, gasping for air as she attempted to rein in the stark, animalistic terror that was threatening to overcome her senses. With all of her senses alert from the sudden rush of adrenaline, she immediately picked up the sound of gentle breathing coming a few feet from her left. With her heart thumping, she slowly turned her gaze to where she had pinpointed the sound, sighing in relief once she realized that it was only Hiccup nestled against the cave wall in a deep sleep. He looked at peace, more so than he had been over the last couple of weeks. It was almost as if he had become a different person during that time, a realization that she had made not long after they had begun their quest.

OOXO

"All right, I spy, with my little eye, something... um...," Ling said, cupping his chin in his hands as he scanned the sky with Ruff and Tuff.

"White?" Chien-Po asked.

Snotlout, who had objected to playing _I Spy_ in the first place, stated, in a tone dripping with sarcasm,

"Gee, I wonder what other kind of color he was going to say, seeing as how, oh, I don't know, the whole sky is covered in clouds."

Tuffnut, after exchanging a mischievous glance with Ruff and Ling, stated,

"Ah, but you are missing the deeper meaning of the game, my dear Snotlout, for it would depend on the certain shade of the individual cloud. When it comes to the color white, would it be more reminiscent of a pearl or of fresh snow?"

"The many different types of shades within a certain color can be very complex. We just happen to be experts in this field," Ruff followed up.

"Okay then, pinheads, if you're so talented in this field, prove it. What's the exact shade of that cloud?" Snotlout challenged, jerking his thumb over to a random cloud in the sky. Squinting at the cloud for a few brief moments, Tuff replied,

"Oh please, dear Snotlout, you make it too easy for us. That, my friend, is a clear example of a cloud that exhibits an ivory shade. If you were to closely observe this particular specimen, you would see that it possesses a very slight tint of yellow."

As Snotlout and Yao narrowed their eyes in confusion, attempting to catch what the twins had pointed out, Ruff stated,

"Of course, we don't have to be experts to know that that wall of clouds right in front of us seems to be making a turn for the worst."

A mighty crash of thunder accompanied this observation, making apparent the fact that a great storm was threatening to break loose on the gang.

"Hiccup, I can see an island down there. We need to take shelter," Astrid yelled over the howling wind, its mighty gusts starting to break apart the gang's formation.

"You don't say," Mushu hollered from Mulan's shoulder as he and Cri-Kee clung onto her wildly when Scathach threatened to be overwhelmed by a sudden gale. Managing to regain control, Merida, having first checked to make sure that everyone was accounted for, raced to the front beside Hiccup.

"She's right, Hiccup. We can't go through this. Someone is going to get hurt."

Hiccup, his face having set into a hardened expression, countered,

"It's not that big of a storm. It will pass soon."

"Yeah, I'm no storm expert, but it doesn't look like this thing is going to blow over anytime soon," Eugene called out to the others as he made sure that he had a firm grip on Rapunzel and Pascal, who had both plastered themselves against Jack's back as he plowed through the gusts.

"Hiccup, it's too dangerous out here. We won't be any help to anyone if we risk our lives like this," Li-Shang said, flinching as a bolt of lightning lit up the enveloping darkness.

"Incoming!" Fishlegs hollered as a gust of wind propelled Meatlug towards the front, knocking aside Scathach, Jack, and Toothless. As Merida instinctively clutched Scathach's neck to steady herself, she heard a shriek over the roar of the wind. Whipping her head back, she watched in horror as Mulan, Mushu, and Cri-Kee toppled off of Scathach.

"Mulan!" Li-Shang yelled as he desperately reached out his arm to try to save her.

Without hesitation, Merida swiftly dove after her, plunging into the inky expanse of clouds below her. The wind roared in her ears and buffetted her visciously as she struggled to see any sign of Mulan. Quickly pulling back once she realized that Scathach was about to crash into the ocean, Merida, drawing in shallow breaths, darted her gaze around her surroundings, praying that she would spot Mulan flailing in the water somewhere... anywhere... . A roar right behind her signaled the arrival of Toothless and the others.

"Does anyone see Mulan? She has to be here," Li-Shang asked, desperation clearly evident in his tone.

"Oh, Thor, what have I done?" Fishlegs whimpered as he spread out with the others to scan the area. A few agonizing minutes passed before Rapunzel called out,

"There she is!"

Following Rapunzel's gaze, Merida saw Mulan struggling to keep herself and her friends afloat. Just before she could grab Mulan's outstretched hand, a giant wave suddenly reared up, knocking her and Scathach into the ocean as well. The world suddenly became silent as the great wave pushed her deeper into the murky depths. She no longer knew where up or down was. Disoriented, Merida slowly turned her head and saw Mulan, Mushu, and Cri-Kee sinking beside her. This bringing her senses back into focus, she grasped Mulan's arm, while Mushu and Cri-Kee gripped onto their friend's shoulder, and began to swim toward what she now knew was up. As she began to frantically kick up towards the surface, she could see the dark silhouettes of the others trying to get in close. Thrusting Mulan up first so she and the others could get a breath of air, Merida broke the surface soon after, the humid air of the storm a welcome relief for her deprived lungs. Flailing her arms amid the turbulent waves, Merida suddenly gripped onto something long, thick, and stringy. Blinking water out of her eyes, she soon realized that what she was gripping onto was Rapunzel's hair.

"Grab hold!" Rapunzel called out over the storm.

After she had firmly gripped onto the lifeline, Merida grasped Mulan's arm before she could float away, with Hookfang plucking Scathach out of the water soon after. Only after she was assured that all of her friends were safe did Merida realize how exhausted she was from the struggle. She had to constantly remind herself to keep a firm grip onto both the lifeline and Mulan as they were dragged over the water towards the nearest island. Only when she felt her body scraping the sand did she finally allow herself to slacken her grip and lie prone on the shore. Groaning, she slowly and painfully attempted to rise but was only able to roll herself over.

"Oh, you're okay!" Rapunzel cried out, racing toward her friend and helping her sit up.

"Of... of course I am," Merida groggily replied as Scathach sniffed her over to make sure. She did not pay any heed to her dragon's codling, though, as her attention was now drawn to the others gathered around Li-Shang, who was cradling Mulan in his arms.

"She's not breathing!" he panicked.

"Don't you dare die on me, Mulan! You're not just going to let a little water get the best of you, right? You're the Hero of China, for crying out loud!"

As Rapunzel rushed forward to help, Merida began to frantically claw towards Mulan, a sickening feeling settling in her stomach as she saw how pale and clammy her face seemed, how she did not stir... . Suddenly, Barf and Belch broke away from their masters and began to sniff Mulan over. Without hesitation, Barf suddenly emitted a cloud of green noxious gas from his mouth, enveloping her. A few seconds passed before Mulan abruptly regained consciousness and promptly began to cough, expelling the water that was left in her lungs. As her body fell limp in Li-Shang's arms, she mumbled,

"What happened?"

"Thank the gods, you're alive!" Li-Shang exclaimed, drawing her closer to him as the others, including Merida, breathed huge sighs of relief.

"Yeah, I knew you'd pull through," Mushu said to Mulan, earning him a weak smile. Fishlegs soon followed up,

"Oh, man, I'm so sorry, Mulan. It's just that the wind suddenly came up, and then Meatlug lost control, and..."

"It's okay, Fishlegs, it was an accident," Mulan said as Li-Shang helped her sit up. That was when Merida noticed that he had a dark look in his eyes that was concentrated at Hiccup, who was now addressing the twins.

"Well, who knew that Barf and Belch would know what to do?"

"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup... He just needed a moment like this to show his true potential," Tuff replied.

"And let's not forget what Rapunzel and Merida did," Chien-Po followed up, with Rapunzel saying,

"Well, it was the least I could do."

Merida, tired as she was, could only nod in acknowledgement.

Eugene, after staring out at the setting sun, drew Rapunzel closer to him and said,

"Well, I should think that after all that excitement, we'd have to get our rest in for tomorrow. Who knows how many more miles we'll have to cover yet."

After everyone had murmured agreement, they all began to spread out to gather supplies and prepare an appropriate sleeping area. As Merida sluggishly stumbled toward where they were to camp, Rapunzel and Scathach suddenly came up beside her.

"Here, let me help you."

Before Merida could refuse, as her Scottish pride would have her do, Rapunzel insisted on aiding her. Finding no point in arguing, as she felt like she was about to pass out, Merida allowed herself to lean on Rapunzel toward the camp-site, where Ling, Chien-Po, and Yao had already managed to light a fire that was giving off a decent wave of heat. After she had gently set Merida down beside Mulan, who was snugly wrapped up in a thick blanket, Rapunzel rummaged through her pack and retrieved a similar blanket for her friend. Nodding in gratitude, Merida turned her attention toward Mulan, who looked to be as exhausted as she was at the moment. After a while, Mulan turned to make eye-contact with Merida and gave a tiny smile of gratitude. Just as the heat of the fire was starting to dull her senses, Merida just managed to catch a glimpse of Li-Shang glaring at Hiccup once more, as the Viking boy was preparing his own sleeping area. That was the last thing she saw before succumbing to the fire's gentle warmth.

OOXO

Now, as Merida stared at Hiccup nestled against the cave wall, it all had started to come back to her. She had seen many things that had terrified her, but none more so than when she had seen Hiccup's dead-set expression during the storm. He had not seemed to pay any heed to the others' entreaties, had not seemed to ponder the consequences of continuing. She had seen how cautious and careful he was as to the well-being of his friends while she and her family were marooned on Berk. None of that seemed to have been present that night. He would have never put his friends in danger like that.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and trying to forget the dream she had, she picked up her bow and quietly tiptoed out of the cave so as not to wake the others. As she honed in her senses to pick up any sound of nearby animals, she suddenly had the sensation of something piercing her with a dark, malevolent gaze... .Whipping around, Merida raised her bow at the ready, an arrow already pulled taut and ready to fire.

"Whoa, easy there. I'm a friend," Li-Shang said, having taken a step back by her sudden gesture. Feeling thoroughly embarrassed by her impulsive action, Merida said,

"I'm so sorry. I guess this forest is making me edgy."

"That's all right. I'm sure this place could make anyone nervous," he replied, scanning the forest as he said so.

As the dream that she had had crept back into her mind's eye, Merida, rubbing the tip of her arrow between her fingers, asked,

"Have you ever thought of what we'll do, you know, once we get to China? After all, it would be better to have a plan ready for when we get there."

"I've thought about that, as well. However, who knows how many variables of the plan will need to be adjusted when we get there. It's been so long since I was there. Who knows what's changed at this point?" Li-Shang replied, his expression turning grim at the mention.

As the cracking of twigs sounded somewhere off to her left, Merida swiftly readied her bow, while Li-Shang tensed himself up to fight. However, they were soon aware that it was only Mulan this time, toting a bundle of rabbits.

"Well, you two seem edgy today," Mulan chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that," Li-Shang replied, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

As they both followed Mulan back to the cave, they saw that Rapunzel was cooking something over the fire.

"What's that?" Merida asked, catching the fresh whiff of herbs.

"Oh, this? It's just a simple soup I put together to go with the rabbits."

Fishlegs, who was paging through a good-sized book, said,

"I made sure to do some research regarding what plants would be safe to use, so you don't have to worry about that."

"Oh, did you think that we would suspect you of trying to poison us, Fishlegs?" Merida teasingly asked as she started to skin the rabbits.

"Ha, ha, very funny."

Just as Merida was beginning to roast the rabbits over the fire, she saw out of the corner of her eye that Hiccup was beginning to stir.

"Good afternoon, sleepyhead. Lunch will be ready soon enough," Rapunzel said as Hiccup stumbled out of the cave, his expression having changed from sleepy confusion to alert horror.

"Oh, gods, what time is it?"

"Calm down, Hiccup. Like Rapunzel said, it's almost dinnertime," Astrid replied, with Merida catching a twinge of exasperation in her voice.

"No... no, no, no. We should have left an hour ago," Hiccup stammered, pacing as he said this.

"Well, too late for that now. People like me can't be their best on an empty stomach," Snotlout said, rubbing his hands in glee at the rabbits roasting over the fire.

"Well, clearly, there's more important things to think about now than filling our stomachs," Hiccup retorted.

"And if we are to save China, clearly we'll have to build up our strength. Did you forget about that?" Li-Shang countered, having abruptly stood up to address him.

"Uh oh," Fishlegs whispered, mirroring Merida's sense of unease as she could feel the tension escalating.

"I understand that, but there are people who need our help, and we can't afford to waste valuable travel time."

"Neither can we afford to take unnecessary risks, like that stunt you pulled with the storm."

"Uh, guys, I think dinner is ready," Rapunzel interrupted, which Merida knew was her own meek way of trying to cease the fighting.

"I didn't think the storm would escalate that quickly," Hiccup replied, a tinge of anger starting to creep into his voice.

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you were putting everyone's lives at risk," Li-Shang quickly retorted, anger clearly heard in his tone.

As it seemed that the argument was getting out of hand, Mulan stepped in.

"Shang, what's done is done. Everything turned out all right in the end."

"We just got lucky, Mulan. Don't forget, you could have been killed! I can't condone risky behavior like what happened that night. And as future leader of your tribe, Hiccup, I should think you should know by now that you can't risk lives under your care like that, not without good cause."

"I am just trying to do what is right for my tribe. Sometimes that involves sacrifices."

Nothing moved, no one spoke, and Merida felt as if the whole bottom of the world had just dropped out from underneath her. Who was this person who had just implied the unthinkable? Certainly not her friend. After he had glared at Hiccup for a brief moment, Li-Shang finally growled,

"Whatever you say... _Chief_."

After that final retort, Li-Shang, casting a quick glance at the pile of rabbits, picked up a makeshift spear and sprinted off into the woods to kill some more. Mulan, after casting a quick apologetic glance at Hiccup, took off after Li-Shang, with Mushu and Cri-Kee following close behind. As the atmosphere became still once again, it was strange for Merida to hear the calming trills and tweets of songbirds after the heated argument a few moments prior. Their songs were not enough to warm the chill that was settling in her heart as she was gazing at Hiccup, his stiff, commanding posture having gone limp as he seemed to realize what he had just said. Finally, he mumbled,

"You guys... enjoy your meal. I've lost my appetite."

After he had plodded back into the cave, with Toothless trailing close behind him, an awkward silence commenced amongst the others, as they were still trying to come to grips over what had just ensued. After a while, Astrid, heaving a sigh, stood up and simply strode into the cave after Hiccup, apparently going to talk some sense into him, leaving the others in silence.

"I'm sure that Hiccup didn't mean to say what he said. After all, I think we've all been a little frazzled from this trip," Rapunzel finally said in a weak tone of voice, seeming to know that she was treading into dangerous territory.

"Well, even so, you have to admit that he has been stretching us a little too far recently," Chien-Po replied as Rapunzel spooned some soup into his bowl. Yao, having helped himself to a rabbit leg, declared,

"You're telling me. This whole traveling schedule makes the trekking in the Chinese army feel luxurious."

"That's not even the worst part. He hasn't even cracked a smile once since we left. That is not human," Ling stated, with Ruff answering,

"How do you think we feel?"

"Alas, Hiccup does not appreciate the fine art of humor. You are starting to see what kind of prejudiced atmosphere my sister and I, and now you, must endure," Tuff replied.

"Can you guys ever focus on what is important? I think that since Hiccup seems to be out of control, I should be the one to take charge of this rescue mission," Snotlout declared, with Hookfang rolling his eyes in the background.

"Um, I don't think strutting your stuff is what we should be focusing on right now. Don't forget what we're even here for," Fishlegs said.

"Oh yeah, I know exactly what we're doing. If these people need a hero, they're going to be expecting someone who can take whatever kind of punishment will come his way, unlike a certain someone I know," Snotlout slyly replied.

"Knock it off, Snotlout. Everyone's on edge enough as it is," Eugene stated, effectively silencing both of them before another fight could develop amongst the group. All this time, Merida had been half-heartedly nibbling at a chunk of rabbit and sipping her soup, feeling as if a part of her had died inside. What had gone wrong? Was this, coupled with her dream, a sign that worse would go to worst? Could it be that they might even fail?

OOXO

**So... did you like? I know that there probably wasn't that much material in this chapter, as far as the advancement of the plot is concerned, but I just wanted to give some background on what has been going on with the group during the time they have been traveling. After all, you can't have a diverse group of adventurers without having at least a tiny dash of conflict, right? ;). After all, it wouldn't be fun otherwise. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed, and please review!**


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